Poetry Tag Time: 30 Poems by 30 Poets - eBook Review

This post was written as a Master's course assignment for Texas Woman's University.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vardell, Sylvia and Janet Wong (Compiled by). 2011. POETRY TAG TIME: 30 POEMS BY 30 POETS. Illustrated by Rich Arnold. Princeton, NJ: PoetryTagTime.com. ISBN 9781937057015.

2. BOOK SUMMARY

This delightful compilation of 30 unpublished poems by 30 poets of today is a joy to read. Based on the concept of playing "tag" as a child, the chosen poets follow a short set of rules by which to play the game: "1)share an unpublished poem within a day of being tagged; 2) make the poems accessible to children ages 0-8; 3)keep the lines "short" (for the purpose of e-book formatting); 4) write a "connection piece" explaining their poem's connection to the poem that came before it in the book." The flurry of movement and excitement created by the "tag rules" evoke memories of playing the game, and indeed, highlight the joys and pleasures of poetry.

The poets featured in this fantastic anthology are actively involved in the poetry publishing world of today. Many seem to know each other and some reference the friendship in their "tag" post. With fascinating bio notes by Sylvia Vardell, this collection is a classic that would be appropriate for inclusion in any poetry collection for children. The final poem, SCUTE by Janet Wong (who also co-compiled this collection) ties back to the beginning poem, IF THE MOON by Jack Prelutsky, bringing a completeness to the poetry tag circle. Illustrations by Rich Arnold are succinct and poignant and jump from the iPad screen. The art is absolutely perfect for this fast-paced book of tag.

Readers begin with an involving poem by Jack Prelutsky, IF THE MOON, in which the author wonders about the possibilities of the moon's composition: "We are happy to report/That the moon is just the moon" (and not a balloon, or cheese, or a sun). The tags begin, and as the reader gets the hang of the idea, the poets continue the game, injecting humor all the while. The tags themselves are almost as enjoyable as the poems. Alice Schertle's tag notes: "Here's a cinquain with some heat in it. Make that a sunquain." It is as if the poets cannot help themselves, and their creativity bubbles through in the tags. Douglas Florian gives us a nice set-up in his tag: "The opposite of crow is dove./One I hate and one I love."

The poems and tags flow quite nicely from one to the next, making the reading experience enjoyable for people of all ages. Humor, the seasons, weather, animals, and food all make at least one appearance in the collection. J. Patrick Lewis' EDGAR ALLAN POE'S APPLE PIE is a clever nod to Poe's poem, THE RAVEN, but instead of "nevermore" (Poe), we get "Never Four!" as the answer to "How many cuts/give me ten pieces?" (Lewis). 

Some of the poems feature rhymes, but not all. Joan Bransfield Graham's BUCKAROO BEES employs great rhythm, rhyme, and imagery: "stack their/pack their/saddlebag legs." And Julie Larios' SONG OF THE HOG produces great musicality and humor about none other than... a pig, the "Porcine King." Janet Wong's description of turtles' back scales in SCUTE compares the circular shapes to both "Mom's cinnamon rolls" and "Grandpa's scaly tough toenails."  POETRY TAG TIME is a book that may be enjoyed again and again, potentially in one sitting, as the reader joyfully moves back to the beginning to notice the ties to the final poem, and to find more ties among the ones in between.

3. POEM HIGHLIGHT

The poem I chose to highlight from this joyful collection is THE DOUBLENOSE HOTEL, by Calef Brown. After reading this sensational poem aloud, I would encourage the students to sniff several different fragrances and other olfactory delights, perhaps cinnamon rolls and other edible treats, and to then write short, descriptive poems to detail what their noses have sniffed, pretending that their readers have never smelled those scents before.

THE DOUBLENOSE HOTEL

Are you a savvy traveler
with a keen sense of smell?
If so, the only place to go
is the Doublenose Hotel.
From the grand ballroom
to the penthouse cafe
it's a nasal buffet-
a complex bouquet
of rare perfumes.
Free aroma service
in all the rooms.
You can order an odor
at any odd hour.
The essence of mint
or an exotic flower.
The water in the shower
is sweetly scented,
and every suite is vented
in case it gets too "fragrancy."
Arrive early, there's rarely a vacancy
at the famous inn that smells so swell-
The Doublenose Hotel.

By Calef Brown